A difficult task is presently faced in the evacuation of ill or injured persons from certain locations such as, for example, roadless wilderness areas, when circumstances are such that helicopter transportation is not possible. This may result from the nature of the terrain, the weather, darkness, the absence of communications or the simple unavailability of helicopter services. When, in addition, wheeled stretchers cannot be used. as on mountain trails, patients must be carried out by hand-held litters or stretchers. In the use of these devices the patient's weight is borne, at an awkard angle, by the bearers' hands, arms and shoulders, all of which soon become achingly tired. Visibility of the irregularities of the trail is obstructed by the stretcher itself, and the stretcher is carried too low to clear obstacles such as boulders, stumps, or the trunks of fallen trees. This process is so wearying that when the carry is to be more than a mile or two over rough trails, as many as 25 men are, whenever possible, assembled to evacuate a single adult.
A similar problem exists in situations in which it is necessary to evacuate persons from mines or tall buildings in which elevators are not operating, or to move goods too large or heavy to permit carriage by single bearers. Examples of the last would be mountain-warfare weapons, equipment for remote hunting or hiking camps, fire-fighting equipment, etc. In all such circumstances, an additional problem encountered is that of moving the bulky stretchers or carriers to the point of need.
While the description of my invention is directed primarily to the use of the carrier in carrying patients it should be understood that the carrier can also be adapted for use in carrying other loads.
It is the object of this invention to provide a stretcher and load carrier capable of being comfortably borne at head or shoulder height by a variable number of bearers, the number in each case being governed by the weight of the patient or load, the difficulty of the terrain, the length of the carry, etc.
It is a further object to provide a mechanism by means of which slightly injured or ill persons may be carried in a specially designed chair supported by this load carrier.
It is a further object to provide a stretcher or load carrier or chair carrier which can be disassembled or folded for easy transportation and which can be readily assembled at the point of need.
My invention consists of a carrier designed to be carried comfortably at the level of the heads or shoulders of the bearers in such fashion that all weight rests upon the bearers' backs and hips, just as it does in the carriage of a standard backpack. It accordingly makes demands only upon the body's strongest and most commonly used muscles, and does so in a comfortable, upright, and well-balanced position. Its design permits it to be borne by two, four, six or even more persons. In its use, even over rough, steep and rocky trails, four men in good condition can, without excessive strain, carry for many miles a patient of 100 pounds or less, while six can do the same with a full-sized adult.
Since the stretcher or load carrier is in some of its embodiments, carried at shoulder or at head height, the bearers' view of the trail, and hence their footing, is unimpeded; the load automatically clears most of the trail's obstructions. By the same token, urban rescue squads would find that it would nicely clear the banisters at each turn of many narrow open staircases. Both hands are left free to seize trees, rocks (or banisters) to aid balance. The carrier is so designed that the bearers may face in either direction relative to the patient or load being carried. This feature is important in the movement of injured persons, who must often be held consistently in a head-high or head-low position depending on the nature of their injuries.
The carrier is harnessed to the bearers' bodies by means of a backpack to which it is removably attachable. There are advantages in using the specially designed backpack, the design for which is a part of this invention. This backpack has mechanisms permitting adaption to the differing heights of bearers, as well as a load-levelling and shock-absorbing feature. However, one of this invention's virtues is that it can be used with a number of packs already on the market.
The bed of the stretcher, on which the patient or load lies, is divided at the foot end to form gutters in which the patient's legs rest in a spread-apart fashion when only two men are doing the carrying. This provides space between the patient's ankles for the head of the bearer whenever the carriage is in the direction of the patient's head. This arrangement is necessary to place the center of gravity of the patient or load at a point equidistant from each of the bearers; it also increases maneuverability by shortening the carrier's overall length.
Yoke arrangements provided at each end of the carrier adjustably receive and are supported by frame members of backpacks worn by the bearers. Through a telescopic mechanism these yokes are adjustable to permit the accomodation of either one or two bearers at each end. They also permit adaptation to a variety of backpack frames.
The carrier is provided with retractable legs the length of each of which is separately adjustable to accommodate to the irregularities of trails. These legs support the patient or other load while the bearers are strapping themselves into the packframes, resting, or reversing the direction of march.
One or more supplementary detachable yokes are provided for use at mid-points of the stretcher or load carrier to accommodate additional teams of bearers when required by the circumstances.
Finally, the carrier, with its yokes, is designed, through telescopic and hinged arrangements to be described later, to be readily assembled for use from a compacted position more suitable for transportation to the location of the patient or load.